Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

I had seen pictures of these bamboo groves and wanted to go there in person. Arashiyama is located little bit on the outskirts of Kyoto and it needs bit of planning to go there. Google maps are the best to guide your way to this location, but to photograph this place without people is all about being here at the right moment. Expect to see hoards of tourists walking on this path and while I was here I counted at least 20 to 25 people on the path for the entire duration of one hour I was waiting to shoot this image.

The location is best photographed using a wide angle lens. I used 24mm focal length on a full-frame (35mm) camera. This particular spot is located at the other end of the path, so you can enjoy the bamboo grove first, walk through them and reach the other end eventually to photograph.

Public transportation is very nice, but slightly expensive as trains are easier to reach this place than bus. I took a day pass for the bus, but had to pay anywhere from $2 to $5 for a train ride. Suica card makes paying for train very easy, so I highly recommend purchasing one at the Narita airport if you plan to travel in Japan.

I had a wonderful visit to Japan during late summer of 2013 and got to see both it's historic and modern faces. Kyoto was my destination of choice to see old temples and shrines of Japan and I focused on Tokyo to witness it's modern lifestyle. Below are a few images from the trip. I was thoroughly impressed by how well Japan's public transportation worked and how easy it was for me to visit all these places. Being mostly a vegetarian eater, I was a bit concerned about the food at first but was pleasantly surprised by abundant and excellent food choices available. Japan is a country everyone should visit at least once. There is so much to learn from it's culture and day to day life practices of Japanese people such as their approach towards conservation, food and emphasis on being polite.
Link to sites I visited